NIBULON’s department of metrology and automated weight measurement system was established in 2011. The reason was swift development of the company’s investment project (in particular, construction of a network of elevator complexes and transshipment terminals) and, thus, considerable accumulation of facilities of measurement technology (truck scales, railway scales, hopper scales, laboratory and electrical equipment).
“We are responsible for constant weight control and analysis during movement (by motor, railway and water transport) of all cargoes within the company! In the name of the company we cooperate with the state centers of standardization and metrology in all regions of Ukraine. Thus, regular technical maintenance, repair and commissioning work, centralized inspections of all measuring instruments at all branches of the company are our everyday and extremely important work”, tells Leonid Mykhaylov, a head of the department.
Metrology is the science of measurement, methods to ensure its unity and methods to achieve the required accuracy. The subject of metrology is to receive quantitative information about properties of the facilities with the given accuracy and reliability; metrological standards are a normative basis.
According to Sergiy Balbazan, an engineer of the department, the tasks of the department are connected with the company’s main activity. “Grain complex of the company (its main specification) is a full cycle of production that includes receipt, storage (including drying) and shipment of products – processes that are ensured by modern and high-technology equipment. Metrology is the main instrument to ensure quality of products, works and services in the grain complex, as it ensures accurate accounting and determination of product indices”, he adds.
“The key principle of our work is efficiency in carrying out tasks”, mentions Valeriy Tsukalenko, an engineer of the department, “Breakdown of any facilities of measurement technology is considered to be emergency situation; thus, the system of emergency response is adjusted in our department. It takes us from two (at the transshipment terminal in Mykolayiv city) to twelve hours (at any branch in one of 12 regions of Ukraine) to remove the most difficult breakdown. Almost all repair work is performed by us without involving contracting organizations”.
The specialists of the department are proud of their own technical support created by the company. The process of weighting is ensured by electric (tensometric) truck scales, railway scales, hopper scales with high class of accuracy produced by the leading European manufacturers. This allows to conduct any weighting with high accuracy. The analytical scales used in the laboratories allow to weight with accuracy to one hundredth of a gram.
“Doing our work, we ensure industrial and economic potential of the company”, mentions Oleksandr Chernyshov, an engineer of the department, “Our key and topical task is to ensure continuous work of all measuring instruments at the company”.
Telling about successes of the department, Oleksandr Chernyshov made an emphasis on the system of logging (on-line transfer) of hoppers which was developed and implemented in 2012 together with the department of applied software. The system allows to carry our distant control over operation of all scales at all branches of the company! Due to this innovation, the company avoids difference of cargo weight during inner transportation.
“In order to work in the department of such a European company, it is necessary to have a number of professional and personal qualities”, mentions Viktor Tsyptsyura, deputy head of the department, “These are the abilities to perform tasks qualitatively and quickly, carry out analytical work, know theoretical knowledge perfectly, know the principles of operation of high-tech equipment and understand mechanics and electronics. Each specialist of our department is an example of synthesis of such professional knowledge and skills”.